Pinnochio!

When we can, we like to be in Wells for the week of the Missoula Children's Theatre.  It is a fabulous opportunity for our children to audition for a play then, along with their cousins, practice lines and songs and dances all week, then perform on Saturday.  It is always something of a miracle that it comes together in one short week.

Every afternoon when we pick up the kids from practice they are ebullient with the sheer joy of it all.  They sing the songs together and practice lines in the car and speak admiringly of the directors...who really are admirable.  (Olivia invited the directors to her party.  If they thought we were a strange family after hanging out with our children all week, their suspicions were confirmed.)

This year the play was Pinocchio.

Marianne's daughter, Deseret, played Pinocchio.

They often don't cast the role of Stromboli but instead have one of the directors play the part.  This week, they had Clarissa.  So they cast Stromboli.

She made a very good Italian accented evil puppeteer.

Braeden played Candlewick, Pinocchio's wayward friend and Emma was the Blue Fairy.

Candlewick had a "crew" and Hyrum, 2nd from right, was part of the crew.

Mark was a "Pleasure Isle Kid".  A really cute one.

Liberty played the part of an urchin.  Are urchins that sweet?

Liliana was the exotic looking puppet, Harlequin. 

Lili's the one on the left.

Ruben and Morgan were adorable Toy Soldiers:

the two on the left

And Carolina was a Baby Doll:

Between the afternoon and evening performances, we had about an hour to feed the children before they had to get back.  We commandeered several tables at The 4-Way, one of the only restaurants in town.

That's Baby Ammon in the front.  He should have been in the play.  Did they need a cherub?

The time came and passed that the children needed to be back and we were not done eating.

Then we realized that of the cast of 37, we had almost a third with us.

We figured they'd wait a few minutes.

I loved watching the young thespians chatter about the afternoon performance and ride their adrenaline all day long.

The cat faced girl is a friend, Naomi, also in the play...also a delight.

All in all, it was a wonderful time.  I loved seeing all the children rise to the occasion, work hard, laugh a lot and build up a store of inside jokes.  Is there anything better than inside jokes among cousins?




It's unrelated, but when looking through these pictures I saw this one Adam took at dinner.  For my readers that know my dad, here he is, sans 'stache.  I know...a little shocking.